It is not a Poisson d’avril (April Fool’s Day, literally in French, April Fish, when the French play hoaxes like in many countries, and act like silly foolish ones, taking great pleasure in sticking paper fish in someone’s back, without he or she noticing). We do those things yes. And I remember my school days when the best was to try to get a teacher you hated and make them look like fools by very skilfully sticking that paper fish on their backs. They would walk around school with the fish on their backs all day. We loved it. But back to my post, despite that I am not playing a hoax on you, an error unfortunately was added to this post, and if you are good, maybe you can find it? Let’s get ready for the ride.

PS: If you were thinking of getting the CD for my birthday (no, you are just too nice), I already have it, so no need for it. Thanks anyway.

I am a May girl. What does this mean beside the yeah she is a Taurus, stubborn, earthy and elle fonce sans réfléchir (in English this means “she is so sensible and thinks a lot before taking decisions”). Well it means that I love strawberries AND that my birthday’s cake has always been, well most of the time, a strawberry cake. Mum merci!!!
Lately, I have seen so many strawberry dishes on the foodosphere-look at Fabienne, Sophie, or Ilva– that I thought, et moi alors? I need my strawberry fix, even if it is not yet my birthday. I am not yet making a cake but since dough is to be often found at my house- and you know this by now-, I can easily make desserts like the following.

Spring and Strawberry Tartlets

You need:

Puff pastry for 4 mini tarts

250 g (9 oz) mascarpone cheese

1 tsp vanilla essence

50 g ( 2 oz minus 1 tsp)confectioner sugar

Mint leaves

Strawberries

Fresh unsalted green pistachios (about 1.5 oz)

Steps:

Roll your dough and make little tartlets. How?

Preheat your oven at 400 F. (200 C)

Cut four 4 3/4 inches squares (12 cm) in the rolled dough and prick the bottom with a fork.

Cut small strips of dough (1/3 inch, 1 cm) to make the edges.

Place them on top of the bottom part and seal with some egg wash if you like.

Place in the oven for about 15 to 20 mns, or until puffed and golden.

Mix together the sugar with the mascarpone cheese and vanilla essence.

Slice the strawberries.

Place the mascarpone cheese at the bottom of the tart (use a decoration bag if you like) and place the strawberries on top.

Decorate with mint and chopped pistachios (or place the pistachios on the mascarpone and then add the strawberries on top).

Chouette strawberries, i love strawberries too and your tartlet are beautiful.
I think strawberrie and mascarpone are better than strawberrie and cream … I note and i’ll test this recipe …
Bon week-end

Gosh, I love this site! You really know how to make food look wonderful.
I must buy some puff pastry – you have really inspired me there!
As for the mistake, my French is very rusty but I think “elle fonce sans réfléchir” means “she charges ahead without reflection” in English!;-)

With this you are definitely killed me!!!
I’m your “servent”…make of me what you want!!!
But please…give me a piece of this gorgeous tartellettes!!!
Miam…:-DDD
Have a good day!!!
I’m going to sleep now!!
Sandra

Hahaha! April Fool’s Day, I quite forgot. In Italy it’s Pesce d’Aprile and YES I love that joke of putting the paper fish on an unsuspecting back! (I think I must’ve made atleast a dozen fishes two years ago and made my husband insane with my rascal behavior). I hid them also in the most craziest places, like under the toilet seat lid and when my husband went to use the bathroom…voila! A practical joker, I am.

Very lovely dessert Bea, but, uhm, when is your BIRTHDAY? Don’t tease, we want to know the exact date!

Hi Bea!
It’s me Meeta, your Flickr contact! I actually came to your website to get the recipe of the Mousse au Chocolat. The pics I saw on Flickr turned me on so much, I thought it would be a great birthday present for my hubby! However, now that I see these tartlets I am torn between the two.
Maybe I will try both and get my jury to give their verdict! More check out:What’s For Lunch Honey?

‘A Darling bud of May’ you are too Bea! 😉
My hubby is a May baby too, but a Gemini.
Beautiful tartlets, funny to think of strawberries in May for me though, as you know it will be a while before I see them again!
I will have to revisit these pages in Oct!

Thanks so much Ivonne for your lovely comment. I am glad you are liking it! I want to hear about your tartlets. As to the mistake, ahah, I think Catherine’s “rusty French as she puts it was not that bad! I pretended to be wise and think before doing something, but tauruses are known for sometimes doing before thinking 😉

Thanks J. I am glad you like it!

Fabienne, let me know how it goes if you make it.

So Catherine, here you are! Your French is pretty up-to-date! You found the puzzle! You deserve a tartelette aux fraises!

Rowena, I can see you doing this actually. Very funny! Birthday day? ehehh, early May! 😉

Hi Meeta,
Thanks for stopping by. I am glad you are enjoying the recipes. I think if you do both, your husband will be really spoiled, so go for it! And I will definitely check your blogs! Thanks for the links

Hi Bron, ah yes, very true, the inverted seasons! How is the weather right now around Christchurch?

What a pretty cake!! I’m also a Taurean, though a late April version:) And my birthday cake is never a strawberry one, simply because they’re not in season in Estonia until late June:(
PS Had never heard about the fish on the back joke. You see, you learn other things apart from food when reading foodblogs..

Béatrice Peltre is a food writer, stylist and photographer working out of her home studio in Boston.
She is a regular contributor to the Boston Globe Food Section, and her work has appeared in many publications
such as Saveur, Food and Wine, Whole Living, Fine Cooking, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, the Huffington Post,
the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Edible Boston, Living France, the New York Times Diner’s Journal,
and in many other international magazines.